Major Progress as House Votes against Deep Cuts to Education
And other legislative updates in this week’s Up the Street
THIS WEEK IN ANNAPOLIS
Progress Made by House Committees to Reject Deep K-12 Funding Cuts; Final House Vote Coming Soon
This week the House Appropriations and Ways and Means committees rejected the cuts to school funding proposed in the governor’s Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act, Senate Bill 429/House Bill 504. On the heels of MSEA’s Day of Action in Annapolis on February 24, the committees voted to take the first major procedural step to spare students in poverty, multilingual learners, and community schools from devastating funding cuts. The bill passed the full House on second reader on Thursday after rejecting a number of Republican amendments that would undercut public schools, including proposals to convert millions in public school funding into vouchers and efforts to allow districts to redirect money away from students in poverty. The bill is expected to be voted on third reader next week, after which it will go to the Senate.
The amended House version rejects a two-year freeze to Maryland’s successful expansion of community schools and restores the foundation amount cut associated with the proposed delay in collaborative time. The restoration of that foundation cut also eliminates the double cut to expected funding levels for students in poverty and multilingual learners. The amended bill includes helpful expansions to Maryland’s Grow Your Own programs among other efforts to improve the educator pipeline that were reflected in the governor’s initial proposal.
If the House and Senate versions differ, then the bill is likely to go to a conference committee between the two chambers where legislators will negotiate a compromise version of the bill. Both the House and Senate will then need to vote on that compromise version, and the governor would need to act on that final bill.
Budget Forecast Drops $300 Million in Report from Board of Revenue Estimates
The Board of Revenue Estimates released its final report for fiscal year 2025 predicting FY25 and FY26 combined revenues will come up $300 million short of what was predicted in the fall, a change based on fallout from the Trump Administration’s actions and intentions. Job losses, personal income reductions, and related reductions in business activity contribute to the downward forecast.
“Compared to what we knew in December, a worse case situation has developed. Quicker than expected and as bad or worse than feared,” the report stated. The report estimates that FY25 will end with $107 million less, and FY26 with $173 million less than previously predicted. The Board will continue to meet and make updated estimates through FY26.
The economic challenges make it all the more important for legislators to avoid a cuts-only approach that will further stretch thin the public services which are all the more important now. A number of revenue proposals are under consideration, including Gov. Moore’s fair tax reform plan and the Fair Share for Maryland Act of 2025 (House Bill 1014/Senate Bill 859), which was heard this week in the Senate. MSEA supports and has testified on both of those proposals. These plans would raise much needed revenue while reducing the tax burden on regular Marylanders and further modernize our tax code. Email your legislators and Gov. Moore here to ask them to prevent deep cuts to our schools and support fair tax reform.
Public Employee Safety Bill Passes Senate with MSEA Support
Workplace safety got a boost Thursday when Senate Bill 26, the Davis Martinez Public Employee Safety and Health Act, passed the Senate (44-0) with amendments and MSEA’s strong support. “Educators should feel safe in their own classrooms, cafeterias, and school buses, and there are commonsense steps that we can take to prevent threats and injuries to school staff, such as those in this bill,” MSEA President Paul Lemle wrote in his testimony. “Doing so not only improves educator safety, but also improves safety for students and our ability to retain educators. Across the state, our members repeatedly identify enhancing safety as a priority for improving working and learning conditions.”
The Davis Martinez Public Employee Safety and Health Act would improve school safety by establishing a unit in the Division of Labor and Industry to address violence and threats in all public workplaces, including schools, to maintain records of incidents and develop violence prevention programs. As the bill affects all public employees, MSEA has been working in strong partnership with AFSCME on the legislation. Senator Ben Kramer (D-Montgomery) is the sponsor of SB26, and Delegate Jared Solomon (D-Montgomery) is the sponsor of the crossfile, House Bill 176.
Need to Raise Wages for Education Support Professionals Underscored in Hearings
In pursuit of higher pay for education support professionals (ESPs), Stacy Tayman, president of the Calvert Association of Educational Support Staff (CAESS), testified Wednesday in the House Appropriations Committee for House Bill 1369. That hearing provided an opportunity to explain to legislators how education funding cuts can harm ESPs, who are typically not making a living wage at their school job. Sponsored by Delegate Greg Wims (D-Montgomery), HB1369 is the crossfile of Senate Bill 892. Senator Craig Zucker (D-Montgomery) sponsors SB892, which had a hearing Tuesday in the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee.
There is still time to add your support for legislation in pursuit of ESP fairness, equity, and safety. It takes just a minute to contact your legislators clicking here.
Bill Would Improve Online IEP System, Give Educators More Time with Students
Improving the state’s unworkable Maryland Online Individualized Education Program (MOIEP) system that maintains records of students’ individualized education plans (IEPs) ranks high on the list of priorities for MSEA members working with students who have IEPs. MSEA Managing Director of Political and Legislative Affairs Samantha Zwerling testified Monday in the House Ways and Means Committee in support of House Bill 1383, sponsored by Delegate April Miller (R-Frederick) to resolve the longstanding issues with the system that drains unnecessary hours from educators’ days.
Miller said her bill would require the state to employ a system that “must have at least a minimum of functional and technical requirements to ensure optimal performance.” MSEA supported Miller’s legislation last year as well. Educators have reported spending three to four hours writing IEPs per student, only to have data lost in a system that frequently crashes and loses information that was entered, Zwerling said. “We are happy to partner with Delegate Miller on this bill…to essentially reduce the workload for educators…We want our members to be working with students, so [students] get the services they need,” said Zwerling.
General Assembly, MSEA, and Clifford the Big Red Dog Celebrate Read Across America
On Tuesday, Clifford the Big Red Dog accompanied MSEA President Paul Lemle and Vice President Nikki Woodward to both the House and Senate chambers to receive proclamations in support of Read Across America, the annual national celebration of reading and literacy. Senators and delegates generously donated new children’s books which MSEA will deliver to schools in the legislators’ home districts.
NEWS AND NOTES
Threats to U.S. Department of Education Endanger Students Everywhere
Giving his newly appointed Education Secretary Linda McMahon a mission to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, President Trump threatens the future of students everywhere, even if his power stops short of being able to execute the plan.
“Trump and Musk have aimed their wrecking ball at public schools and the futures of the 50 million students in rural, suburban, and urban communities across America, by dismantling public education to pay for tax handouts for billionaires,” said National Education Association President Becky Pringle.
“Their plans are clear and if enacted, the real victims will be our most vulnerable students. Gutting the Education Department will send class sizes soaring, cut job training programs, make higher education more expensive and out of reach for middle class families, take away special education services for students with disabilities, and gut student civil rights protections.
“Congress created the Department of Education, and only Congress has the power to end it…We won’t be silent as anti-public education politicians try to steal opportunities from our students, our families, and our communities to finance tax cuts for billionaires.”
NEA recommends contacting Congress to urge them to defend the Department of Education.
Two More Appointments Give General Assembly Full House, Senate
Two appointments to House seats on Monday filled all the seats in the Senate and House of Delegates for the first time in months. On Monday, Delegates Sean Stinnett (D-Baltimore City) and Kim Ross (D-Baltimore County) were appointed. Ross fills the seat of now Senator Carl Jackson (D-Baltimore County), who replaced now Baltimore County Executive Kathy Klausmeier, and Stinnett fills the seat vacated by now Senator Dalya Attar (D-Baltimore City), who replaced former senator Jill Carter.
Of the 141 House members, seven delegates have been appointed since last session, and in the Senate, four of its 47 members have been appointed since last session.
Prince George’s Primary: Braveboy Leads in County Executive Race, Adams-Stafford in District 5
Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy appears victorious in the seven-way Democratic primary race in advance of the June special election to determine who will serve the remainder of former Prince George’s County Executive (now U.S. Senator) Angela Alsobrooks’ county executive term. As of Thursday evening, she had 43% of the vote, with the closest contenders being former County Executive Rushern Baker with 21% and at-large County Councilmember Calivin Hawkins with 20%. Only four votes separated first and second place in the three-way Republican race: George McDermott received 352 votes, Jesse Peed, 336, and Jonathan White, 348.
Shayla Adams-Stafford appears to have won the Democratic primary for the council District 5 seat formerly held by Jolene Ivey. Fred Price Jr. is the sole Republican candidate in that race.